TWO former Bermuda-based journalists have set up a new communications company providing specialist writing and public relations consultancy services to the reinsurance, insurance and risk management sectors.

The founders of the new company, rein4ce, are former Royal Gazette and Bermuda Sun business reporter, Mairi Mallon, and journalist and public relations consultant, Stephen Breen, who formerly worked at TheRoyal Gazette.

After conducting market research, the company's founders believe there is a strong, unmet demand by reinsurance companies for communications professionals who have a strong understanding of the sector, extensive industry contacts and who can produce well-written corporate literature.

Rein4ce, based out of London, will be the only specialised (re)insurance public relations firm offering services to this market.

The new company will utilise specialist reinsurance writers and production journalists in the UK and Bermuda, including former Global Reinsurance and Strategic Risk editor, Helen Yates, Bermuda-based contributing editor of the Bermuda Insurance Quarterly, Chris Gibbons, and Lindsey Rogerson, the award-winning former editor of Private Banker International, who writes a monthly investment focus for Global Reinsurance.

"Reinsurance is a very specialised subject," said rein4ce Managing Director Ms Mallon.

"What we constantly hear from reinsurance executives and their marketing and PR departments is that they have to waste a lot of time explaining the basics of what they do when they talk to copywriters and PR agencies.

"When it comes to corporate communications, we are convinced that there is a big demand for rein4ce's unique combination of great writing, industry know-how and contacts."

The company's services will be aimed at a wide range of professionals within the reinsurance, insurance and risk management industries and businesses that service them, including PR and marketing departments, brokers, underwriters, associated professionals such as lawyers, bankers, accountants, captive managers, professional associations and overseas jurisdictions.

According to a press release, rein4ce is offering a range of services including copywriting, web writing, speech writing, ghost writing articles and public relations consultancy services.

The company is also offering complete media start-up packages for new reinsurance companies that include logo and brochure design through to web writing and an initial press release.

Mallon and Breen, who travelled to Monte Carlo earlier this month for the annual networking event for the world's leading reinsurance professionals said they were delighted to have the business up and running before the event.

"We received a really positive feedback from people we spoke to in Monte Carlo," said Mallon.

"People really seemed to like the services we are offering and we are optimistic that we will be kept busy."

Breen, a former national newspaper reporter who founded his own PR and communications company Breen Media in 2005, believes the recent credit crunch will present business opportunities for rein4ce.

"Whenever times get tough, the first parts of a business to suffer are normally training, PR and marketing," he said.

"We know that PR and marketing departments will be coming under an awful lot of pressure to keep on producing with reduced resources, and we feel rein4ce is perfectly placed to take the strain if they need to outsource work."

Visit the firm's website at www.rein4ce.co.uk